by Gloria Daniels

Ever heard of Soldier ants ? Well, The other night as I was walking across my yard with my neighbor friend, I felt a sharp bite on the top of my foot.

I lifted my leg to brush whatever it was off and noticed that it was just an ant. But oh, no! Don’t be fooled! There is no such thing as “just an ant” when it’s the biting kind! I gulped, looked down around the steps to my front door, and saw exactly what I knew I’d see but hoped I wouldn’t. Soldier ants. Thousands of them. And the little terrors were marching not in lines but in bloody masses right toward my front door and into my veranda.

At this point I already felt at least three more pinches, from my feet all the way to my chest. They can get under your clothes and up onto your body in seconds! If you’ve ever heard stories about ants in the millions killing sleeping infants and small children, these be the ones. Thank God I’m a 5’7” adult. And if you haven’t heard the stories, Google it. (Hey, I know what you’re thinking…don’t you DARE back out of coming to visit! Read on!)

Anyway, long story short, my neighbor ordered me to take off my clothes immediately and hang them up on the washing line. She then got some insecticide from my kitchen and doused the area where the ants were invading. In minutes, they were dead. My security guard refused to go home when I told him to, even though he spends the night in the open-air garage of my house. That night I slept with my door shut tight and the insecticide bottle by my door, ready for action. The next morning, I was pleased to see my brave guard still alive and well, yet not so pleased to find him laughing jovially at me and my previous night’s display of trepidation. I guess this wasn’t his first time with soldier ants.

Eventually some guys came over and sprayed chemicals on my lawn and cut it down with handheld tools called grass cutters. So now I can sleep with eyes closed and without fear of soldier ants. . Just thought I should share this with you.